Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Past and Future Memories
Sabine wanted it to stop. She wanted to wake back up in her bunk and pretend none of this was happening. But she couldn’t, not after what she had witnessed. Sabine sat there, thinking about what she heard at the end of whatever she was just in, ‘Live your life free, my little sunflower’. “There were only two people in this galaxy that had ever called me sunflower. Father, and…Him.” Sabine began to think, but before she could continue the train of thought, the boy’s laughter was heard again, this time accompanied by a voice that only said a few words she could make out.
“Come on!… We gotta… Before your mom… us!”
Everything that just happened had left her mind as Sabine began to dash towards the light. Regardless of how fast she ran, the light didn’t seem to be getting any closer. What she did notice was the sound her boots made below her. At first, it sounded like nothing, like she wasn’t walking on anything. Now, the sound made was a crunching sound, but not like leaves, it felt more like she was running on snow. She noticed that as she got closer, her breath began to become more and more visible, meaning wherever she was running was somewhere cold. And judging by the voice heard, there was only one place she could think of where the light would take her.
“Krownest…” Sabine thought to herself
The light then exploded around her as it got much colder, but she didn’t care. What she took notice of, was the voice of a young boy, finally clear, calling out to someone.
“Come on Beanie! We gotta hurry with the speeder before your mom catches us!”
When Sabine opened her eyes, she realized she was wearing something different, not her armor, but gloves and a coat someone would wear to protect themselves from the cold. She also noticed she was in a slightly wooded area covered in snow. She realized she was home, in a happier time as she saw the boy that was shouting. It was impossible to miss him with his dark blue hair and thick orange coat that was a close shade to his copper-esque skin tone. She would never forget those eyes. A shade of blue that was practically impossible for her to recreate in her art. She saw that he was waving his arms, trying to signal to someone to come here. Her eyes followed where the boy was looking before hearing the voice of her younger self.
“Relax Ez! Mom isn’t going to catch us! She’ll find out faster if you don’t stop shouting though!”
Her younger self was dragging a speeder towards the boy. Her long dark chocolate hair getting covered with snow. Her younger self seemed to struggle with getting the speeder to where the boy was, so the boy came over to help.
“Don’t worry Beanie, I got this!” The boy shouted before extending his hands
The bike began to move on it’s own as the boy focused on it, moving it to the top of the hill with the young girl helping to move it too. Once they finally got it to the top, they sat next to each other laughing, like there wasn’t a care in the galaxy. The boy stopped laughing and lightly smiled before beginning to frown.
“What’s wrong Ez?” her younger self asked
“Well, dad says we’re going to be leaving soon. Apparently the leader of the Separatists was killed and one of my daddys Jedi friends is trying to track down the scary droid man.” The boy explained
“That sucks! And right before your 6th birthday no less!” Her younger self shouted in complaint
“I know, I’m sorry Beanie. We’ll be heading back to Lothal tomorrow.” The boy said sadly
The boy then shook away the tears forming in his face before looking at her younger self with a goofy grin, “But don’t worry! We’ll still be friends! And we’ll find a way to see each other again!” The boy shouted out
“Y-yeah. You’re right! You’ll always be my bestest friend! And we’ll find a way! I promise!” The younger her shouted
Sabine could only laugh at that childish promise. “So much for THAT happening. Stupid fucking empire and stupid fucking Jedi Purge and stupid fucking Order 66.” She thought to herself bitterly.
“Do you promise?” The boy asked
“Of course!” Her younger self shouted
“Pinky swear it?”
“Absolutely!”
Her younger self then stood up and held out her right pinky towards the boy before saying.
“I, Sabine Wren, first daughter of Ursa and Alrich Wren, Promise to find a way to stay friends with you, even when we’re across the galaxy.”
“And I, Ezra Bridger, only son of Jedi’s Ephraim and Mira Bridger, Promise to find a way to stay friends with you, even when we’re across the galaxy.” The young Ezra declared
After they shook their pinkies, the two children began to hop onto the speeder bike, with Ezra driving it.
“You sure you wanna try this Beanie? You’re going to fall.” Ezra asked
“I won't back down from a challenge! Bring it on!” The young Sabine shouted
Ezra then had a toothy grin on his face before kicking on the gas and shouting.
“Then I hope you’re ready to fly Beanie!”
With that, the speeder took off, leaving the older Sabine back in the void. She remembered how that day went. She flew off the speeder bike almost instantly before they got the bike stuck far from home with a bad snowstorm coming in. Forcing them to hide out in a cave nearby, going off of whatever snacks they could fit in their pockets and relying on each other for heat until their parents found them in the morning.
Sabine then wandered for a bit before the sound of her footsteps turned into her walking on metal of some kind. She became more concerned as she began to hear crying. She began to run in the direction of where it was loudest and as she got closer, more voices were heard.
“You’re under arrest for speaking out against the empire. Where is your son?” Someone asked
“You really are heartless, you know that? The only reason we spoke was so one day, people would rally together to stop the empire’s tyranny and Ezra could have a better life. And he got caught in the crossfire of YOUR troops opening fire on civilians. We just finished burying him a few hours ago goddamnit.” A man growled
Sabine stopped instantly as she heard the conversation, it was clearly Ezra’s father talking with some imperial. What she couldn’t process was the fact that Ezra was dead for as she got closer to the source of the crying, she saw a slightly older Ezra cuddling himself in a secret room.
“I am truly sorry to hear that. But that doesn’t excuse your actions. Especially considering the fact we found recording equipment in your room.” The imperial said
Sabine then heard handcuffs being placed on, most likely, Ezra’s parents as they were shoved out of the building.
“We may be gone, but we’re just the beginning. The empire is going to be nothing but ash by the time our legacy is finished. We are nothing but the first spark and it will spread and become a wildfire you cannot contain.” Ezra’s father spat out
“Spare me the philosophy, fear will be used to keep the people in line and whatever pathetic sparks you hope will come up out of this will be quickly snuffed out as the traitors will be made examples of.” The imperial said
As the door slammed shut, time seemed to speed forward as the crying began once more and Sabine’s attention was turned towards her friend. She realized he was all alone in this tiny hole. Believed dead, where would he go?
“Tseebo, Rhyder, Theron, Beanie, anybody. Help me.” Ezra said quietly
Sabine began to quickly move towards Ezra whilst saying, “It’s ok Ez. I’m right here.”
But as she got closer, Ezra got further. She soon found herself running as fast as she could to try and catch him. She then realized her footsteps stopped sounding like metal, and more like she was running in a field. As light filled her eyes once more, she realized she was in a field on Lothal chasing after an almost full grown man with blue hair, wearing a damaged bag with a ruined orange outfit on. She also realized she was back in her armor as she continued chasing this mystery boy.
“Wait up!” She shouted out at the boy
“Stay the hell away from me!” The boy shouted back before tripping forward and onto a hill
When the boy stood up and faced Sabine, she realized she was staring at an older Ezra, who was reaching for something in his bag.
“Please. Calm down.” Sabine said to him
“Why should I trust you?!” Ezra shouted back
Sabine thought to herself why he was shouting at her when she realized that she was wearing her helmet. She knew she would have to play this smart, so she began to take off her helmet while saying, “Because when have I given you a reason not to trust me?”
She saw Ezra’s eyes focus on her, before widening in shock, but then immediately turning into a glare.
“This is a trick.”
Sabine couldn’t believe it. Why would Ezra think it was a trick? He was her friend.
“This isn’t a trick, Ez.” Was all she could say
“YOU’RE LYING!” Ezra shouted before pulling out what appeared to be a lightsaber from his bag and igniting it revealing a silver blade.
“I’M NOT!” Sabine shouted back
“THEN PROVE IT!” Ezra screeched back as the world turned back into the void with both of them standing there. Ezra then turned around, no lightsaber to be seen, and walked into the darkness, with Sabine chasing after him.
When Sabine caught up, she saw him looking even older, with both his hands stretched out, seemingly holding something in place both behind and in front of him.
“Ezra, get out of there now! That’s an order!” A familiar voice shouted
“I can’t do that.” Was the older Ezra’s reply
“Ez.” Was all Sabine could breathe out as the world filled in, revealing both of them on a star destroyer. Tentacles wrapping around the bridge windows, holding something in place. A hole blown in the side of the bridge.
The older Ezra faced Sabine, revealing twin scars on his left cheek, having a saddened yet determined look on his face.
“I’m sorry Beanie, but I have to see this through to the end.” Was all that Ezra said as the world crumbled around her. Ezra said something else, but couldn’t make out at all what he said as Sabine closed her eyes, wanting it all to end. Next thing she knew, she was falling out of the destroyer, with Ezra above her with his hand extended, trying to grab onto her. Sabine frantically looked around as she saw her helmet, now painted in a dark purple with gold accents, flying next to her. She was going to die, this was how her life ended. Sabine closed her eyes and waited for it all to be over.
Sabine once again found herself in the void as she heard footsteps come close to her. When she looked around, she saw nothing but the void, at least until she saw the outline of a woman standing over her. She couldn’t move or do anything as she felt something creep in all around her. Sabine began breathing faster and faster. The darkness was going to consume her, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time, fear. When it all seemed over, the woman’s voice called out to her.
“Are you really going to die now, after everything you’ve been through?”
“No!” Sabine shouted out quietly as she jolted up. She kept breathing hard and fast as she looked around and realized she was in her room on the ship. She wasn’t in the void, she wasn’t in weird places, she was here. On the ship, with the others. A knocking on the door drew her attention away from whatever she just went through as a voice called out to her.
“Sabine, you ok? Kanan and I could hear you tossing around in your sleep.”
“I’m fine, Hera. Just a bad dream.” Sabine called back
“If you say so, just make sure to get yourself together. We’ve got a mission today.” Hera called back before walking away.
Sabine then plopped back onto her bed and sat there for a minute, trying to process it all before she got out of bed and got herself ready. Only one thought remained in her mind, “What the hell was that?”
END OF PART 1